


Please Say You'll Love Me

by Lisbeth2070701



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging [sort of], Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Blood Adoption, Child Abandonment, Classification AU, Father-Son Relationship, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Fenrir Greyback, Good Lucius Malfoy, Good Tom Riddle, Good Voldemort (Harry Potter), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Littles Are Known, Molly Weasley Bashing, Pacifiers, Parent-Child Relationship, Platonic Relationships, Ron Weasley Bashing, platonic malfoys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:34:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisbeth2070701/pseuds/Lisbeth2070701
Summary: After Voldemort's resurrection he discovers that he had been lied to by Dumbledore. Before he has a chance to accept his new classification, he is attacked and chaos ensues. While trying to adjust to constantly depending on someone else, he is terrified of being left behind again, especially in this vulnerable state.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy & Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Fenrir Greyback/Remus Lupin, Tom Riddle & Severus Snape
Comments: 113
Kudos: 252





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all like it!!

_This cannot be happening. I already presented, this shouldn't be possible. I can take care of myself!! I don't want to be dependent on someone else!! Okay, calm down. I'm sure this is just a temporary glitch. Come on Tom, you need to hide this from your followers until it goes away. After all, we can't have them thinking their master is a child. That wouldn't help at all._

Tom Marvolo Riddle paced back and forth in his bedroom at Riddle Manor. He had dismissed most of his followers after that annoying boy had escaped during his resurrection. He kept the inner circle behind for a bit longer to discuss what had been happening while he was... indisposed and the plan for going forward. Now he was finally alone. He had been feeling a bit...well, the only word to describe it was needy, ever since his resurrection. He had read plenty of books and he knew what this weird feeling usually meant but he just couldn't accept it. For one thing he had already presented as a dominant when he was seventeen. There was a multitude of other reasons such as, everyone presented at seventeen and nobody had ever presented at a different age. Also, he didn't think he needed to be taken care of and the only people that feel this way when they present are in desperate need of care and affection. In general, he just flat out refused to think about the fact that he kept having these urges to act like a little. He would need to do more research about this subject before making any decisions.

...........LINE BREAK...........

Severus and Lucius apparated to Malfoy Manor together. Talking quietly they headed toward Lucius's study. After they both sat down with a drink, Severus voiced what they were both thinking.

"Did it seem to you like the Dark Lord was different tonight? He seemed distacted and much quieter than he was before his return."

Lucius nodded. "It didn't look like he was paying attention to the reports at all. I can't believe I'm saying this but if I didn't know that he was the Dark Lord I would have said he looked like he was about to have a panic attack. He doesn't strike me as that type of person but he was definitely freaking out about something."

Severus thought about that for a few minutes before replying. "You're right that he's definitely not the type to freak out easily. I wonder whats happened that has him so tense? We haven't gone on any raids or anything and he only got back three hours ago. What could possibly have happened to make him act like that? Do you think he knows something we don't? I wonder if we should check on him? Maybe something went wrong with the resurrection ritual. You know he would never tell us if something was wrong no matter how much pain he was in. We'll probably get screamed at and maybe crucioed but maybe we should check on him anyway? Just in case somethings wrong? What if...!"

"Severus!! Calm down, little brother. Your inner caretaker is coming out. Our Lord will most likely not be happy to be on the recieving end of those types of thoughts. I doubt his reaction will be kind. But I know you and I know that you won't stop worrying that something is wrong until you see for yourself that all is well. Therefore, I will go with you to see Our Lord but first you must calm yourself. I don't particularly wish to be crucioed tonight so while you're calming down we should think of a good reason for why we came back after Our Lord clearly dismissed us."

.....Meanwhile at Riddle Manor.....

Smirking viciously to himself, Walden MacNair quietly opened the door of the room he was hiding in. Now that everyone had left he could figure out what was going on. The Dark Lord had been acting strange and he was going to figure out why. Slipping through the door he headed toward the stairs knowing that was where Lord Voldemort was most likely to be. After going through a few different rooms and finding them empty, he came upon the library. At first, he assumed that this room was empty as well but then he heard it. There was a very soft breathing coming from a corner of the room that was hidden behind some bookshelves. Slipping around the edge of the shelf he grinned evilly at what he saw. This was just perfect. He could take advantage of this.

Laying curled up in a ball on a sofa was the Dark Lord. Now this in itself wasn't exactly normal. The Dark Lord wasn't big on making himself vulnerable in public. However, the biggest giveaway was that he was hugging a pillow as he slept and his thumb was seated firmly in his mouth being sucked on.

MacNair knew exactly what this meant. He was a little. And any and all possessions or titles belonging to a little automatically reverted to their guardian when the little was claimed. If he could claim the Dark Lord then he would automatically be in charge of the Death Eaters, he would recieve a position of power, plus he would get all of the Dark Lords properties and money, which, being the heir of slytherin, was quite a bit. Having made up his mind, MacNair started towards the little.

Tom didn't want to wake up. He was having such a peaceful dream and this was the best rest he had gotten in a long time. But whoever this idiot was wouldn't leave him alone! "No." He mumbled. "Don't wanna get up." The shaking got rougher. Eventually he got used to it and was almost back asleep until he was roughly thrown on the floor. Suddenly wide awake, he sat up in alarm. What was going on? Looking up he saw the hideous face of Walden MacNair hovering over him. _Eeew. No one wants to wake up to that._ Shaking himself he tried to get his thoughts back in order. What was MacNair doing here?

His question was answered as MacNair spoke. "Wakey wakey your highness. In a shocking turn of events, it seems like Mr. high and mighty is a little." Laughing maniacally, he continued. "And of course, everyone knows that a little needs a mommy or a daddy. And because I'm such a nice person," more creepy laughter, "I've decided that I'm gonna be your daddy!! As MacNair advanced toward the little, Tom was internally freaking out. Scooting backwards he tried to put as much distance as possible between them. _Calm, I need to stay calm. I can't drop here. As long as I don't drop, he can't claim me. Oh God, what am I going to do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep commenting!! I'm glad y'all seem to like it so far. I have a general plan for where I want this story to go but I'm open to other ideas as well. Please comment and let me know what you want to happen!! Also, I have a fanfiction that I wrote when i was 14 and my sister wants me to post it on here. It's based on the volleyball anime Haikyuu and like this fic is more family centered than romance. It's around 20,000 words. Do y'all think I should post it here?
> 
> TTFN ;)  
>  Lisbeth


	2. Chapter 2

As MacNair advanced towards the trembling little, Tom's mind was working overtime. He had to get away somehow. He had sent his followers away a few hours ago. Calling  
them back would only take two minutes but there was a couple problems with that plan. First of all, he didn't have a few minutes. If MacNair saw him reaching toward his arm he  
would know Tom's plan and be able to stop him before he could summon anyone. Secondly, even if he managed to successfully summon his followers, he had no way of  
knowing how they would react. For all he knew, they might agree with MacNair and even help him. So that plan was out the door. He was officially on his own in this.

While all these thoughts were going through his head he was careful not to let them show on his face. As MacNair came within a few feet, he took a deep breath. He could do this. Right? Yes. Okay. 

'Here goes nothing.' He thought. 'Wait for it. wait for it. Not yet. Almost. NOW!!!' 

MacNair was less than a foot away from him when Tom lashed out. Kicking MacNair in the groin wasn't the most elegant way to distract the enemy but, hey, whatever works, right? As MacNair was sufficiently distracted holding himself and moaning in pain, Tom saw his chance and took it. Sliding past the groaning man, he ran for the hallway. If he  
could get to his office there were wards in place that would permanently disfigure anyone trying to get in without his explicit permission. The only problem was, his office was  
on the other side of the manor.   
Running down the hall he narrowly escaped crashing into a wall by throwing himself sideways. As he turned and headed towards the stairs he could hear MacNair starting to give chase behind him. He did not sound happy. Taking the steps two at a time he made it to the first floor. As he passed the main hall he inwardly rejoiced. Almost there!! He took three more steps before his escape was brought to a sudden halt. Slowly he glanced upwards at what he had run into. Or rather, who he had run into.

.......Line break.......

Severus had finally managed to convinced Lucius that they had a good enough reason to return to the Dark Lords manor. After some discussion, they decided it would be safer to floo than to apparate. That way if the Dark Lord had closed his floo they would know that he didn't want visitors and to stay away. Lucius had only agreed to go on the condition that if the floo was closed, then the would leave immediately. 

As Severus stepped out of the floo and dusted off his robes he turned around to wait for Lucius. When both men were standing in the main hall, he spoke up. 

"Something about this is bugging me Lucy. It's too quiet." 

Heading out into the hall Severus was shocked when he felt something immediately crash into him. Automatically, he grabbed their arms to steady them. Then he looked down to see who it was. He was rather surprised to see a teenager looking back at him with big brown eyes. What? Before he had a chance to think on it further, he heard an angry shout coming towards them. Reaching out, he gently tugged the child behind him. He may not like most children but that didn't mean he was going to stand by and let one get hurt. Pulling out his wand he took a dueling stance and faced in the direction the yelling was coming from.

The commotion had drawn Lucius into the hall as well. Casting a questioning glance at the teen hiding behind his brother, he then looked at Severus. Severus shrugged at him before gesturing in front of them. Okay. So his brother didn't know any more than he did at the moment. Well, he wasn't going to let Severus face whatever it was alone. Sighing, he pulled out his wand as well and took up a stance beside Severus. How did he always manage to end up in these situations?

Unsure what to expect, both men were surprised when Walden MacNair stumbled around the corner still shouting but walking with an obvious limp. Curious. Both men knew MacNair from the Death Eater meeting but neither of them were friends with him. He was considered useful by Voldemort, because of his skill in interrogation (torture), but not irreplaceable. Even though he had been with the Dark Lord since before the first war started, he had still not managed to become part of the inner circle. Therefore, the two men had not taken much notice of him. 

Lowering their wands slightly, they waited for him to say something. However, what he said was not what either of them expected. Neither of them missed the flinch from the teenager when MacNair spoke, but Lucius could not help laughing. Even Severus, though he was known for his iron control over his emotions, couldn't help but smirk. 

"That little brat kicked me in the groin!! The wretch is gonna pay for that!!" Slowly straightening up he grinned maliciously as he saw who was standing there. "Ah, Severus and Lucius, my apologies. I didn't realize there was anyone else here."

Raising an eyebrow at the use of their first names, Lucius turned to Severus. Maybe the dark haired man knew MacNair better and that's why he was addressing them so familiarly? A quick shake of the head was all he needed to dismiss that idea. Okay, so it was just a lack of good manners. He turned back towards the other man as he continued to speak. 

"As I was saying, I thought we were alone. I'm very sorry to disturb you if you had urgent business. If you'll just hand over the boy we'll be on our way and get out of your hair."

Severus looked thoughtful as he slowly nodded his head. "Naturally. However, before you go, I have a few questions for you. To begin with, who is this boy and what is he doing at the Dark Lord's manor? Also, why is he running from you?"

MacNair stumbled over his words a bit before answering. "Uhh, you see, that is, uh.... Oh, right!! He's the child of a rebellious Death Eater. I'm supposed to punish him and interrogate him as to the nature of his parents true allegiance."

Severus and Lucius exchanged another meaningful look. How had this man ever become a Death Eater? He was a terrible liar. Sighing at the stupidity of some people, Severus responded.

"Oh? And since when does Our Lord punish children for their parents mistakes? Or hand them over to be tortured?" While the Dark Lord was many things, a child abuser was not one of them. Yes, he was harsh with his followers, but all of them were of a legal age and had made their own conscious choice to follow him. Harry Potter was the exception. Other than that Voldemort had never harmed a child and certainly not a magical child!! So the questions were, what was MacNair really doing? Why was he in the Dark Lord's manor? And just how gullible did he think they were?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all like it!!

MacNair stumbled over his words for a few more minutes before giving up. Pointing at the person still hiding behind Severus he threatened. "I'll get you for your little trick later." Then he apperated out of the manor. 

Lucius looked at Severus. Well, that was weird. Severus just shrugged before subtly gesturing behind him. Maybe the boy could give them some answers. 

Turning around, he opened his mouth to start questioning the teenager. Then stopped. Shutting his mouth, he blinked for a minute taking in this new information. 

Standing where he was sure had been a teenager before was now a younger boy around the age of ten.

"Oh." 

It was starting to make a bit more sense now. The boy was apparently a little in the middle of de-aging for the first time. No one knew or could predict what age a little would be. They ranged anywhere from a newborn to ten years old depending on the child. From the looks of it, the child wasn't done as you could see if you watched closely, he was slowly getting smaller. 

"Umm, Lucius.... what now?" As always, Severus looked to his big brother for answers. 

Meanwhile, Lucius found these events very entertaining. Even though the boy wasn't fully de-aged yet, he just knew that the boy was perfect for the roll of Severus's little. Severus hadn't seen it yet but Lucius had. The child had a tight grip on the back of Severus's robes and even though the threat seemed to be gone for now, he still wasn't letting go. Rather, he was holding even tighter and looking at Severus like he had hung the moon. It was adorable. But even though they were perfect for each other, there were a few things that had to be taken care of first. 

"Well, I suppose the first order of business is to report to the Dark Lord about this. I sincerely hope he has not started punishing children for their parent's mistakes. I'm sure the wards have alerted him to our presence so we should probably hurry." 

Severus nodded in agreement. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he looked at Lucius. 

"Lucius, we're not gonna let him hurt a little right? He looks like he's still getting younger and he won't even understand why he's being hurt." 

Lucius smiled at his little brother in all but blood. His brother's inner caretaker was already looking to protect this child. It was absolutely perfect!! 

"Of course not Sev. I'm sure it was just a mistake or misunderstanding on MacNair's part. We won't let anything happen to the child." 

With that reassurance, they headed down the hall towards the living areas where they were most likely to find the Dark Lord.

..............LINE BREAK.................

After searching the entire mansion there was still no sign of the Dark Lord. Growing frustrated Severus turned to Lucius.

"Well this was a major waste of time. He doesn't seem to be anywhere around. Maybe the boy knows something?"

Lucius looked thoughtfully at the child who was now somewhere around the age of five to eight. Shrugging, he conceded.

"Okay, but we shouldn't question him here. We don't know if MacNair or someone else is coming back. Let's take him to Malfoy Manor. He can stay there until we figure out whats going on."

Nodding his head in agreement, Severus grabbed the child and headed towards the floo with Lucius right behind him.

........Malfoy Manor.........

After they had brought the child inside and settled him in a bedroom, Severus and Lucius pulled up chairs beside the bed. Severus looked at Lucius and gestured for him to start talking.

It was strange, he thought, that the child still hadn't made any noises. Usually littles were very loud and clingy during their first trip into their head space. Definitely strange.

Lucius sighed as Severus motioned for him to do the talking. He was always so antisocial. Clearing his throat he got started.

"Well, the most important thing to find out is who's child this is." Severus nodded but didn' take the hint. Sighing internally at his brother, Lucius turned to the child who was watching them silently with big eyes.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm Lucius and this sourpuss is my little brother Severus. Can you tell us your name?"

The child just sat and stared for a few minutes of awkward silence. Just as Lucius was about to try again, he finally responded.

" Thomas."

It was very quiet and Lucius just barely heard it. "Thomas, it's nice to meet you. Would you tell us the rest of your name please? That way we can help you get back to your parents?"

The little boy looked like he was torn between sobbing and screaming angrily. Finally he decided on the latter.

"YOU'S A LIAR!! I DON'T HAVE NO PAWENTS AN' IF I DID THEY DON' WANT ME NO MORE CAUSE I A FWEAK!! I'M TOM 'VOLO WIDDLE AN' I DON' NEED NO ONE!!!"

Finished with his outburst the child scrambled off the bed and tried to make a run for it. Both men were stunned, not so much at the outburst as at what the child had said. Thankfully, Severus had enough presence of mind to grab the child as he headed for the door.

Tom kicked and started screaming as he felt the arms pulling him back. Pulling the boy into his lap, Severus hugged the child tightly in a effort to stop the boys flailing. The boy needed to calm down.

"Shhh, child, its okay. I've got you, you're safe. No one's gonna hurt you. Everything's gonna be alright. Shh."

He continued to murmur comforting phrases and rock back and forth as he glanced over at Lucius. The blonde wasn't frozen anymore but he still seemed to bit in a bit of shock. Though Voldemort's real name was not well known, they were part of his inner circle, and thus, had access to more private information including the knowledge of his true name and a very small amount of information about his upbringing. Enough to know that he hadn't had the best childhood, and the little's words only confirmed that.

"Still," thought Lucius," you'd think we'd have noticed he was a little by now."

Feeling his brother's eyes on him he looked over. Aww..... they were so adorable toogether!!! Lucius quickly fought down his inner fangirling. He would have to have a talk with Narcissa later. All those romance books that she read at home (that he most definitely DID NOT read) were having a very unmanly effect on him. Anyway, back to the problem.

The little had fallen asleep while Severus was rocking him. Looking closer, Lucius saw that the boy was around the average size for a four year old and still getting smaller. This was going to be a very young little.

Severus gently set the child on the bed and covered him before placing wards around the bed to ensure the young child wouldn't fall off in his sleep. Quietly, he motioned to Lucius and they slipped out into the hall.

Lucius spoke first. "Well, I guess that answers what happened to the Dark Lord and why he was in that mansion. Also, it means MacNair was definitely lying but we already knew that."

Severus looked at him seriously. "Yes, however, it doesn't answer the most important question. What are we going to do with him Lucius? We can't leave him alone. And what are we going to tell his followers? And what about the war? Also, why didn't he present until now? There are so many more questions that need answered."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep commenting!! I'm glad y'all seem to like it so far. I have a general plan for where I want this story to go but I'm open to other ideas as well. Please comment and let me know what you want to happen!! Also, I have a fanfiction that I wrote when i was 14 and my sister wants me to post it on here. It's based on the volleyball anime Haikyuu and like this fic is more family centered than romance. It's around 20,000 words. Do y'all think I should post it here?
> 
> TTFN ;)  
>  Lisbeth


	4. Chapter 4

Tom woke up slightly confused. What happened? The last thing he could remember was being dragged away from his mother by the mean lady in the suit. His father had come home more drunk than usual so his mother had told him to hide in the pantry till she told him it was safe to come out. As usual, he didn't listen. According to his mother, he was exceedingly smart for a two year old but when he heard his mother screaming he couldn't help but run to make sure she was okay. Whenever that would happen both his mother and his father would call him stupid. He didn't mind it so much when it was his mother but his father said it so much meaner.

Anyway, when he ran out of the pantry this time he was not prepared for the sight he saw. Both of his parent were passed out on the floor and there was blood surrounding his mother's head. His mother had taught him that if he or anyone else was hurt and didn't know how to fix it then he should call 911. So that's what he did.

When the paramedics showed up there was a mean looking lady in a suit with them. She had forced him to let go of his mother and manhandled him into the car. Even as a two year old he was not going to let them take him that easily though. He had kicked and screamed and bit the lady multiple times before she finally got him in the car. It was when he refused to get out of the car that the lady had screamed at him that his parents were both dead and he would never see them again. He entered a state of shock and had no idea of what was happening around him. His entire world had just changed but the mean lady had seemed happy that he was easier to move now that he wasn't fighting her. He remembered being put on a bed in a stark white room and being left alone.

When he started to wake up he was very confused. This did not feel like the sheets he had finally cried himself to sleep on. Opening his eyes he looked around him in shock. The room he was in was richly decorated and the blanket was warm and soft. This was all so confusing!! He wanted his mother!! But the mean lady had said his mother was dead.

Just as he was about to start crying again he heard voices coming from the hall. Grabbing one of the pillows off the bed, he crawled to the door. He could walk but it was a slow process and difficult to keep his balance so it was all around easier for him to crawl. And of course he would need something to cuddle with when he got to wherever he was going. There were no stuffed animals so a pillow was the next best thing. Pushing open the door he crawled out into the hall. The voices seemed to be coming from a room four doors down the hall from the one he woke up in.

It took him a few minutes, but eventually he made it to the door. Cautiously, he peeked around the corner. There were two men talking across from him. At least he thought they were men. They both looked like men but there hair was kinda long. The blonde man had really long hair. Thankfully neither of the men were facing towards him so they didn't see him.

He sat there for a few minutes without either of them noticing him until the dark haired one spoke. He didn't really pay attention to what he had said but suddenly Tom really wanted to cuddle with him. His voice was so pretty!! It sounded just like his mothers. Most people would think it was strict or stern but he had heard that tone before and he knew it meant that person cared but wasn't good at saying it. He instantly loved the voice and wanted to be closer to it.

Crawling into the room he headed for the dark haired man. He crawled around the couch cause he didn't want to risk the blonde man seeing him and stopping him from getting to his daddy.

_Wait. What!! His Daddy!?!_

That couldn't be right. His father was a mean man with brown hair who hit his momma and was always yelling. Yet, even though he knew it wasn't right, he really wanted to call this new man daddy.

Oh well. Right now the only important thing was to get to him and get cuddles. Finally he made it around the couch and headed towards the man.

.........Line Break.........

Severus was still in the middle of his rant about how people should treat magical children and what he wanted to do to those who dared to mistreat the ones in their care when Lucius noticed it.

Slowly crawling towards the angrily gesturing potions master was a little child that couldn't possibly be older than two. Lucius watched as the child "snuck" around the couch. When the child glanced at him he quickly looked away and pretended that he hadn't seen anything.

There was a small smile on his face as he watched the child get closer and closer to Severus. Finally the child had arrived and was now sitting on the ground just to the side of Severus's legs.

Lucius couldn't help but snicker softly when the child tried to stand up. The first few times he wobbled and fell back down but eventually he managed to stand up while holding onto the couch for balance. When he seemed sturdy enough the child slowly raised his arms in the universal gesture for children that meant they wanted to be picked up. Severus was still so busy threatening what he would do to idiotic muggles if he ever caught them that he didn't notice the child reaching for him.

Eventually Lucius took pity on the child. His big brown eyes were starting to look watery and Lucius couldn't stand the thought of watching the adorable little boy cry.

Clearing his throat he waited until Severus looked at him.

"Brother dear, if you're quite done with your rant, I believe their is someone who would like your attention."

Severus looked at him confused.

"What?"

Lucius sighed. Honestly the man was so dense sometimes.

"Severus, look down. The child wants you to hold him."

Severus glanced down and saw Tom staring at him with a trembling lip and tears in his eyes.

"Oh."

Slowly he reached down and pulled the boy into his arms. The sniffles continued for a few more seconds before stopping completely. He stared at the toddler in his arms and the toddler stared back. Now what was he supposed to do?


	5. Authors Note

I just wanted to tell y'all I'm sorry. I was going to try and update my story once a week but I just found out that my grandfather has terminal stage 4 cancer and the doctors aren't sure how long he has left. So I'm going to be very busy for a bit. I'm definitely not giving up on this story but I thought I should let y'all know that I will be trying to update monthly instead of weekly. If there are any questions or suggestions about the story then I would love to hear them or answer them.

Thanks for understanding,

Lisbeth


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say, thank y'all so much for all the support and encouragement. I'm not really a outgoing person so I don't have a lot of close friends and I can't tell y'all how much it meant to me that you were so awesome about everything. I love reading y'alls comments and answering your questions!! Anyway, finally found time to type so here's the next update. Enjoy!!

Severus sat frozen staring at the child in his lap. For a few minutes there was silence as the two locked gazes. Eventually, Tom started to blink. As he opened his mouth wide, Severus started internally freaking out.

"Oh Merlin. Is he going to start screaming again? Oh God, please don't start crying."

Looking to his brother for help, Severus was outraged when he saw Lucius covering his mouth with both hands while trying not to laugh at the picture the two of them made. Opening his mouth to start yelling, he paused when Lucius shook his head and gestured at the child still on his lap. Severus sighed. Now what? Looking down he saw the child yawning and rubbing his eyes with two tiny fists. Oh. He watched, holding perfectly still, as the boy wiggled around until he was comfortable before grabbing a handful of his robe and falling asleep.

He glanced up quickly as he noticed motion out of the corner of his eye. Lucius was walking towards him holding a transfigured blanket and stuffed snake. As he saw the intent in his brothers eyes, he started shaking his head. Oh no, no no no.... he was NOT going to sit there like some besotted brainless grandmother and hold a sleeping baby. It was undignified. He would not allow it.

He glared as Lucius approached. Snatching the items out of his hands, he gently slid the boy off of his lap and onto the couch. Then he discovered a new issue. The boy was still clutching his robes with an iron grip. He didn't know babies could even have that much grip strength.

As soon as Severus started trying to loosen the boys hand, he started whimpering. Severus growled. He couldn't stay on the couch all day! Starting to get frustrated, Severus was about to just wake the child up when Lucius stepped up.

.................LINE BREAK...................

Lucius was having the time of his life watching his brother try and interact with the baby. Clearly he did not have a lot of experience. In fact, when he thought about it, the only experience that Severus had with babies, as far as he could remember, was when Draco had been born.

Watching Severus try and fail repeatedly to get the child to release him was one of the most entertaining things he had ever seen. Finally, when he saw that Severus was starting to get frustrated, he decided to help.

Stepping close, he gently untangled the child's hand from Severus's robes. Before the child could start whimpering he carefully slid the stuffed snake into his arms. Gently he covered the boy up with the blanket before tucking him in. Turning around, he faced his brother.

"So.... this is the Dark Lord. We need to come up with a plan. Obviously circumstances have changed so we must adjust accordingly. I believe the most important thing to decide is what to do with our Lord. We have a few different options. Firstly, we could find a good orphanage to put him in. Personally, I think this is not the best idea. We already know he grew up in an orphanage the first time and clearly that didn't work out so well. We also know that the orphanage he was placed in the first time was muggle. If we did place him in a orphanage, it would have to be a wizarding orphanage because muggles would wonder why he wasn't growing older after a few years. The problem with a wizarding orphanage is that, thanks to Dumbledore, everyone now knows the name Tom Riddle and that he is Lord Voldemort. No orphanage would want to take him in and even if we could find one that would, no one would want to adopt him. Plus we would have to do thorough background checks on any potential homes to make sure they aren't going to abuse him as revenge for something his, for lack of a better term "older self", has done. And that's only the first option"

Lucius stopped to take a breath while Severus considered what he had said.

"So the first option is out." Severus said. "What are the other options?"

"Well, there's also the option of foregoing the orphanage all together and just giving him to someone we trust."

Severus thought about this for a minute before shaking his head.

"That won't work. We would have the same problem there as we would with the orphanage, even if we trusted the person we gave him to, we don't know if they had any friends die or even if they were friends with anyone who had a loved one harmed."

Lucius nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. I've also considered doing one of those options and simply changing his name. The problem with that plan is that, as he already proved, he knows his name. We can't exactly explain to him that if he tells anyone his really name he could end up dead or severely injured!! He has the mental capacity of a toddler, he wouldn't understand."

Looking over at Severus, he saw him nodding his head in agreement. Well, here goes nothing.

"In my opinion the best thing we could do is have one of us raise him. That way we know he won't be mistreated and we can make sure that the "Light side" doesn't sentence him for things that are not his fault.In fact, I think you should take him Severus. I already have Draco to care for plus with the divorce from Narcissa no government is likely to approve of me as a guardian right now. Plus he really seems to like you."

Lucius took a deep breath, having rushed to get all that out before Severus had time to react, or rather, attack.

For the first time in a long time Severus was speechless. _What_!!

"Lucius, this is not funny. We are trying to have a serious discussion about the welfare of a magical child! This is not the time for jokes! I'm not sure what has gotten into your head but if you think....!!"

Lucius cleared his throat a few times trying to get his brothers attention to no avail. Finally he gave up trying to act proper.

"Severus Tobias Snape!!"

Severus paused mid rant to turn and look at him.

"What!!"

Lucius sighed.

"I'm perfectly aware this is a serious topic. I wasn't joking. I really do think that you taking the child is the best solution. I know that it's not common knowledge, but you are a guardian. I think you could be good for the boy. Maybe provide him with the love and structure that he didn't get in his childhood. And I think having a Little would be good for you as well."

For the first time since he had met Severus, Lucius saw the man frozen in shock with his mouth hanging open. It was a very strange look on the usually serious and severe man. Than he saw the clouds gathering on the mans face. He sighed as he prepared for a long night of arguing. 

" _Well ,_ " he thought, " _here goes nothing."_


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew!! Almost didn't make my chapter for this month. Sorry if it's not up to standard, I rushed it out in the last couple hours. Hope you like it anyway!! :)

Severus sighed as he looked at the toddler sleeping on the couch behind him. After yelling at Lucius for a few hours, the irritating blonde had calmly and logically stated the reasons why he thought Severus should take care of Tom. Annoying as it was, a lot of the other mans points were good ones. Ugh!! Why they ever let a man like Lucius Malfoy who loved arguing get professional training in how to argue at law school was a mystery to him. After he finished speaking the blonde had calmly stated that the boy would probably wake up soon and that Severus should be there when he wakes up to explain things and answer questions. He left after telling Severus that he would be downstairs in his office if he needed him. So now, Severus was sitting in a chair across from the couch waiting for the child to wake up.

After about fifteen minutes the boy began to stir. Slowly sitting up the boy rubbed his eyes while holding tightly onto the transfigured stuffed snake they had given him earlier. Severus watched as the boy proceeded to put his thumb in his mouth before slowly looking around. Upon seeing Severus in the chair, the boy slowly wiggled his way down until he could reach the floor. As soon as he hit the floor he started crawling toward him. Severus watched all this without moving or saying a word.

When the boy finally reached the chair he grabbed a hold and tried to stand. This happened a few times with them ending in him falling back on his butt. Eventually the toddler managed to stand and sort of keep his balance. He seemed a bit unsteady but he hadn't fallen this time. After a minute or two of intense concentration from the child, he slowly raised his arms and looked expectantly at Severus.

"Up!!"

At first Severus ignored him. The kid was joking, right? He was covered in drool and who knows what else from sucking his thumb then crawling on the floor!! And he wanted Severus to hold him? Nope. Not happening.

After about two minutes he felt a tug on his robes. Sighing he looked down to see the boy still staring at him.

"Up!!" The boy demanded.

"How about no?" Severus told him.

After about thirty seconds he felt another tug.

"What now?" He grumbled.

Looking down he saw the boy staring at him with kicked puppy eyes with large tears and a trembling lip.

"Up pwease?" He begged.

Severus gave in. He considered how dangerous those eyes could be as the child snuggled close to him. Forget about people following Lord Voldemort out of fear or respect. He would just have to show them those big brown eyes brimming with hurt and tears and the world would give him anything he wanted. Standing up, he glanced at the child who was snuggling close to his chest. He wasn't sure but it looked like the child was listening to his heartbeat. Okay... maybe that was normal? Something all kids did? Severus really didn't know. Sighing he headed downstairs to find Lucius.

Making his way to Lucius's office he ran into Narcissa on the stairwell.

"Severus." She said, nodding her head in greeting. "And who might this little one be?"

Severus sighed, resigning himself to small talk.

"Narcissa. This is Thomas. It looks as though he might be staying with me for a while. Before you ask, when we found him he was in MacNair's clutches which is how he ended up here. Does that answer all your questions? Great. If you'll excuse me."

Brushing past her, Severus started to descend the staircase.

Narcissa was frozen in shock for about five seconds before snapping out of it and realizing that he was getting away.

"Severus Tobias Snape, you get back here right this instant! No it does not answer all my questions!! You will be coming with me to have tea and discuss this in detail. Also so I can get to know this adorable child. I've been waiting years for you to find the right little and settle down so you with come with me!!"

Severus opened his mouth to protest but before he could get a word out she shushed him.

"No!! No arguments!!" She almost skipped down the stairs while talking to herself. "I'm going to be an Auntie!! Finally!!"

Knowing that whenever Narcissa got into one of these moods it was nearly impossible to argue, Severus gave up and followed her. He knew if he didn't she would find a way to make him regret it later. Women were scary that way.

Ten minutes of being lectured later, Severus gave it up as a lost cause.

"Yes Cissa, I understand. If I happen to unexpectedly get more children you will be the first person I tell. Can we please change the subject now?"

They made small talk (and by they I mean Narcissa) for about a half an hour. Narcissa spent most of the time cooing over the child and how cute they were together. Severus spent the entire time considering in his head that Narcissa and Lucius were perfect for each other. Lucius had thought he hadn't noticed but he had seen those looks he kept getting. Both Malfoys acted like the perfect purebloods, calm, cool, and collected, but as soon as they were out of the public eye they both gushed and cooed over a child like new mothers. It was bad enough that they did it over the child but it was even worse that they did it to him simply because he was taking care of the child!!

After the required half an hour, Severus was able to escape by saying he had urgent business to discuss with Lucius. Finally leaving the room he sighed in relief that he had gotten away.

Continuing on his previously interrupted way, he finally made it to the doors of Lucius's office. Knocking once, he entered without waiting for an answer. Going to sit in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk, he bounced the child on his leg while waiting for Lucius to finish what he was working on. Eventually, Lucius set down his pen and looked up.

"Well, you definitely lasted longer than I thought you would."

Severus scoffed. He certainly wasn't going to admit that he only lasted for ten minutes before coming down and running into Narcissa. Anyway, that wasn't what he was here for.

"What do you think the best course of action would be? I know you want me to take the boy but how would that work? I can't just show up one day with a child. There will be questions. Especially from Dumbledore."

Lucius thought for a bit before replying. "Well I think the best legal action you can take to avoid unnecessary questions is to officially adopt the boy. We can say he is a distant relative of the Prince family who was orphaned and you decided to take him in."

Severus considered it. Adopting someone was a big deal. Also, magical adoptions were permanent. Was this really what he wanted? With the boy being a little he would be his caretaker until he died. Is this what the boy wanted?

Looking down he saw the boy stirring from his impromptu nap. The toddler opened his eyes and when he saw Severus his face split in a adorable smile.

"Daddy!!"

Well, that answered that question. Looking back at Lucius, he nodded.

"Let's do this."


	8. Chapter 7

Severus glided through the halls of Hogwarts on his way to clear out his classroom for the summer when he heard his name being called. Sighing, he turned around. Well, he had expected this to happen sooner or later.

"Yes Albus? Did you need something? If it's not important, I'm rather busy right now."

Albus nodded as he caught up with Severus.

"Of course my boy, of course. I had heard from one of my associates at the ministry that there was a mixup with some papers. Apperantly someone had registered that you wanted to adopt a child? Obviously I thought I would offer to take care of this mistake for you. Unless it's not a mistake?"

Dumbledore glanced at Severus with a questioning look.

Severus took a deep breath. The meddling old coot and his "assosiates" aka spies, were starting to drive him nuts. Well, there was no getting around it now.

"No Albus, it was not a mistake. I've decided to adopt a child. Thank you for the offer though."

He nodded slowly.

"I see. And may I ask what prompted this decision? It seems rather sudden. I haven't known you to be the most spontaneous person."

As a spy Severus had heard enough things and had enough experiences to know when someone was digging for information. Something about the way Dumbledore was asking seemed off to him. His instincts were telling him to not trust this man. Even thought he had known Albus for a long time, Severus was a firm believer in the saying, trust your instincts. They had served him well so far and he wasn't about to start disregarding them now. So he purposefully made up a story and left out pertinent information.

"It's something I've been considering for a while. It's in my DNA to want to take care of someone and Lucius Malfoy overheard a conversation and said he could get me to the top of the list. I found a child being abused by a Death Eater and formed a attachment to them and they to me. It seemed like the next best course of action."

Rule number one for lying. Always mix in the tiniest amount of truth which will make your story more believable. You'll never guess who taught him that. Severus mentally sighed. Narcissa was such a bad influence!! He forced himself back into reality just in time to hear the end of Dumbledores sentence.

"Really my boy, I think you should reconsider. I think this is a very bad idea. With Voldemort back we need you focused full time on spying. I feel bad for the child, really I do but surely you can find someone else to take him in?"

Severus gaped at the man. He was kidding right? The man ran a school and this was his idea of what to do with an abused child!?! He had never before considered Dumbledore to be coarse or cruel or even stupid, but he was starting to reconsider.

Glaring at the man he angrily replied.

"I don't believe I asked for your help or your opinion, Headmaster. I am doing this no matter what you think because I believe it's the right thing to do. I am going through with the adoption no matter what you say and don't even try to stop it because the paperwork has already been accepted and processed for me to adopt the child as well as for the child to live with me next year during the school months. The Board of Directors for the school have already approved it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do. Good day, Headmaster."

With that final comment, Severus swept past the Headmaster and continued down the hall robes billowing behind him.

.......Malfoy Manor.......

"Lucius!! Where is that blonde menace!!"

Severus grumbled to himself as he stalked down the main hall.

"LUCIUS!!"

He glared as the man in question stepped out of his office.

"You yelled? Honestly Severus, I've known you long enough that you should know better than to shout. It's undignified. You're lucky Narcissa isn't home at the moment. Now, what did you need?"

Severus scowled at the blonde as he swept past him into the room.

Lucius sighed as he closed the door.

"Please do come in, make yourself at home." He said sarcastically as he made his way to the desk.

"Thank you, I will." Severus replied with just as much sarcasm.

"Anyway, as I was saying. First of all, where is Tom?"

Lucius nodded.

"I was able to have a friend of mine in the ministry rush the paperwork so he is now legally and magically your responsibility. Because of the need for privacy and discretion we thought it would not be wise to bring the child to you while you were still at Hogwarts. Also, because of the violent and unexpected nature of his presentation, he did not have any of the items needed for a child, such as, clothes, toys, shoes, books, and others. The child needed a distraction so Narcissa decided to take him shopping. She wanted to get everything but I knew that your tastes and hers don't exactly match up so I convinced her to only get the necessities. So they are currently out buying clothes and shoes. They should be back in a hour or two. Why do you ask?"

Severus decided he owed the man a little gratitude for saving him from Narcissa so decided to be semi-polite. After all, he couldn't be flat out polite. Even if Lucius already knew his true self. He had a reputation to uphold!

"Dumbledore was asking abut him. He doesn't know who he is or anything like that but he found it strange that I would adopt a child. I might have given him the impression that I've been considering it for a while. The old coot actually tried to tell me that he wouldn't let me!! Seriously, the meddlesome fool seems to think he can control everyone!! Anyway, I might have lost my temper a bit and told him that there was nothing he could do to stop it and possibly given him the impression that the board had already approved for me to take care of the boy next year while I teach."

Lucius took a moment to digest all that he had been told before he nodded.

"Well then, you should be very glad that I had the foresight to talk to the school board of directors and take care of that exact problem. Otherwise you might be in some serious trouble."

As soon as Lucius finished speaking they heard the distinctive pop of apparation in the hall. Instantly followed by ear piercing screams. Both men stood as Narcissa stormed into the study.

"Severus Tobias Snape!! Take this child right now!!"

Severus carefully reached over and grabbed the child before anything drastic could happen. As soon as the boy was in his arms the screaming stopped.

Narcissa huffed.

"Well, if nothing else he's definitely yours. As soon as I even mentioned the word shopping he started screaming. He made a scene in every store I tried to enter and refused to try on anything. He hasn't stopped shrieking like I was trying to kill him since we left. As you can see, eventually I gave up."

Turning she headed towards the door.

"Severus, I'm afraid you will have to do your own shopping."

Severus smirked.

"Oh thank God."

Narcissa whirled around.

"Why you ungrateful man!!"

Storming towards him with her wand drawn she made a frightful sight.

Smirking at Lucius's look of betrayal, Severus turned with the child in his arms.

"Have fun."

Before spinning on his heel and apparating the child and himself home.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Arriving at Spinners End, Severus walked through the front door carrying the child. Walking through the house, he was headed towards the living room when he heard Tom's stomach making a rather loud grumbling noise. Turning, he looked at the little.

"I suppose you refused to eat for Narcissa as well?"

The boy stared at him with big brown eyes before slowly nodding his head once. Shaking his head, Severus changed course and headed towards the kitchen. Opening his fridge, he stared at the contents. As a professor, he tended to live at either Hogwarts or during the summer, Malfoy Manor. As a result, he tended not to be home for many meals. Hence the contents of his refridgerator consisting of a jar of pickles and a stick of butter.

Glancing at the little in his arms, Severus sighed again. Looked like they would have to go shopping today after all. Grocery shopping at the very least. On second thought, it would probably be wise to buy a few diapers and changes of clothes while they were out as well. If Tom was anything like other littles then he should probably get him changed sooner rather than later.

......line break.........

As he walked down the street towards the market, Severus was thinking for once that he was happy he lived in a muggle neighborhood. There was a supermarket just down the road and a mall less than a mile away where he could get everything they would need in one trip. He was NOT a fan of shopping so he would do anything he could to make this trip go faster.

....Number 4 Privet Dr....

"Boy!! Get out here and make us breakfast!!"

Harry groaned as he crawled out of his cupboard. For a while, he had stayed in Dudley's second bedroom, but as soon as his aunt and uncle thought they weren't being watched anymore, they moved him back to the cupboard.

Harry yelped as he was hit across the face as soon as he entered the kitchen. Automatically, he withdrew inside himself. It was a coping mechanism he had developed early in life. He could still see and hear what was going on around him but his brain just sort of went numb. He knew that it hurt when his uncle hit him, but he couldn't feel it. It was like his brain just disconnected from his body. Absentmindedly, he noticed Dudley was pitching a fit again. He didn't know what the temper tantrum was about this time but he was sure he wouldn't have to wait long to find out. Somehow, no matter what went wrong, it was always his fault and his relatives always let him know it.

As soon as he had that thought his aunt started yelling.

"Freak!! We're completely out of bacon!! It's all your fault!! You're just jealous of my poor Dudders. So you're trying to starve him!?! Trying to make my poor baby waste away, is that it!?!" (Harry had a quick thought that it would take a lot more then just missing some bacon to make Dudley waste away but he quickly shoved it down inside before it could come out of his mouth and get him in even more trouble) "You rotten boy!! You'll go to the store this instant and buy food for my Dudley. And just because you are such a burden and you tried to take food from Dudley, you won't be eating today!! Get out of this house!! NOW!!"

Harry ran, grabbing the grocery money from the jar in the pantry on his way. He didn't slow down till he was about four blocks away. Even then it was only because he was having trouble breathing from having run so fast. Walking at a quick pace, he arrived at the market in less than fifteen minutes. He quickly got the bacon and was heading towards the checkout when he heard a voice he recognized.

What was Snape doing here!?! And...Was that a kid with him? He didn't think Snape was married much less had a child. He quickly got in line, trying to hide behind the person in front of him so he wouldn't be noticed. Unfortunately for him, Snape was a very observant person.

"Potter!?! What are you doing here!?!"

.....Severus POV......

After half an hour in the grocery store, Severus was sure they had everything they needed food wise so he headed towards the checkout with Tom on his hip. He had tried putting the little in one of the baby seats built into the shopping cart but Tom was having none of it. After the drama with Narcissa this morning the boy was not willing to let Severus put him down for even a second. Not wanting to cause a scene (and because he secretly enjoyed the fact that the boy liked him best) Severus gave in and carried him.

They were waiting in the checkout line when Severus glimpsed a familiar nest of messy black hair out of the corner of his eye. Quickly, he turned around but he didn't see anything. Deciding that he must of imagined it he turned back around all the while muttering about how he needed to take a vacation from teaching if he was imagining seeing Potter in the grocery store. As the customer behind him leaned over to pull something off a shelf, Severus saw a unmistakeable pair of green eyes widen before ducking down out of sight. He growled as he stalked towards the boy, an impressive feat while still holding a four year old and pushing a shopping cart. Why did he always end up fixing Dumbledore's messes!?!

"Potter!?! What are you doing here!?!"

\\.....Harry's POV.....

Harry jumped instinctively when heard his name yelled by that voice. Uh-oh. Why did everything bad always have to happen to him?

"Umm, hello Professor Snape. I was just, uh... getting some breakfast?"

"Right, breakfast. And is there a reason you are out shopping for," here Snape paused and glanced at his hands, "bacon, by yourself, in clothes that most certainly aren't yours and look like they've been pulled out of a dumpster, in the middle of a muggle area with no adult to be seen? Why are you even here? And where are the adults responsible for you?!"

Harry debated for a few minutes whether he should tell the truth or lie. Looking at his Potion Professors face, Harry figured he'd be able to tell if Harry lied to him anyway so he might as well tell the truth.

"Well, uh, you see, my aunt and uncle live in Surrey. And this is the closest market to their house. And they're actually at their home waiting on this bacon for their breakfast so I've really got to go. Bye!!"

Rushing through the last sentence, Harry turned and made a run for it, leaving the bacon on the counter since he hadn't paid for it yet. Oh well, he could always buy bacon somewhere else.

After years of having to stop children from killing themselves by adding the wrong ingredient to a potion, Severus had pretty fast reflexes. Even with one arm occupied holding a little he was still able to grab Harry's arm as he tried to run away.

"Nice try Potter. You're staying right here until I get a better explanation out of you."


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thx for all the support so far!! Please keep commenting and let me know what you think!!

Chapter 9

Harry nervously chewed on his thumbnail as he followed Professor Snape down the street. He thought about making a run for it but the professor had a firm grip on his other wrist. Not tight enough to hurt, he absently thought, but he doubted he would be able to slip out of it easily either. He had asked Professor Snape where they were going a couple of times but he had either ignored him or just said that he was taking them somewhere they could talk.

The professor's strange behavior was making Harry a bit nervous. And speaking of strange, since when did Professor Snape have a baby?!?! He had never talked about or even mentioned that he had a family, much less a kid. Like most of the kids in his class, Harry had never thought about what the professors did or where they went during the summers or at Christmas time.

Although, Harry admitted slightly surprised, it was a pretty cute baby. The entire time he had been being pulled along behind the professor, the baby had been staring at him with huge eyes over the professors shoulder. Harry grinned at the child before puffing his cheeks up with air, he waited a few seconds then let it go while making a popping sound. The child smiled a little before burying his head in Professor Snape's shoulder. Harry giggled. He was so adorable!!

The loud clearing of someones throat quickly alerted Harry to the fact that they had stopped moving. They were in front of a slightly beaten up old house on the other side of Surrey from where Harry's relatives lived. He turned his head to look at the professor.

Snape raised one eyebrow. "When you're finished admiring the scenery Mr. Potter, if you would please go inside." He gestured towards the door he was holding open.

Following the Potter boy into the house he motioned him to take a seat at the kitchen table. He got Tom settled into a transfigured high chair and set some cheerios in front of him all while keeping an eye on Harry. Once everything was set up he took a seat across from Harry.

"Now, Mr. Potter, would you care to explain what you were talking about back at the store?

Staring at his scary looking potions professor, Harry shook his head. He could name lots of times when his relatives had told him that if he ever talked to anyone about anything that happened then they would beat him to death or sell him to some underground market or something equally as bad. No matter what, he wasn't going to say a word. He had learned his lesson. The one time he hadn't obeyed his relatives was when he first became part of the wizarding world. He had thought if he told someone in authority what was going on then he wouldn't have to go back to his horrid aunt and uncle and cousin. So he had went to Professor Dumbledore at the end of the school year and had told him how his family hurt him and showed him the scars and said he didn't want to go back. The headmaster had said he understood but then Harry found out that he had written to his relatives saying that they should take care of his "lying problem". That summer was worse than they had been for a while. Yes, Harry had learned his lesson. No matter what Professor Snape said or did, Harry wasn't going to tell him a thing.

After questioning the boy for almost an hour and not getting a single word from him, Severus was at the end of his rope. He knew it was slightly unethical but he couldn't think of what else to do. Taking a deep breath, Severus steeled himself for the worst and gently eased himself into Harry's mind.

Severus opened his eyes but immediately closed them again when he saw how frantic the boy's mind was. Memories were flying past his head and randomly pausing and playing a new one. It was complete chaos and it was starting to make Severus nauseous. Now Severus was far from a gentle and compassionate person but even he was capable of telling when panic was fear induced. When Severus had taught himself legilimancy and occlumancy he had read many books on the subject. One thing he remembered reading was how to project calmness onto someone else from inside their brain. He'd never had cause to use this particular skill before since usually the persons whose minds he was reading were either unaware or his enemies that he didn't care if they were scared. But he figured now was as good a time as any to try it.

Breathing in deeply Severus focused on staying calm and relaxed while gently pushing those emotions into Harry's mind. After about thirty seconds he could feel the child starting to calm down. He was slightly surprised it had worked seeing as how he didn't have the most calming personality.

Severus slowly started making his way through the swamp of memories gently probing for thoughts about his home life and his situation growing up. He was very careful not to move quickly or roughly because he didn't want to startle Harry into another panic attack. Eventually he made it to a small door inside Harry's mind that had four or five different padlocks on it. Curious as to why this section of Harry's mind was so highly guarded, Severus pulled out his wand and started removing the locks. As he removed the last lock Severus was hit with an unexpected wave of pain, depression and fear. Picking a memory from the room at random, Severus eased himself into it.

Forty-five minutes later Severus gently eased out of Harry's mind only to see that the boy had passed out and was lying in his chair with his head on the table. Considering the memories Severus had just seen, it was no surprise that the boy had passed out. 

After levitating Harry over to the sofa and covering him with a blanket, Severus put Tom, who had also fallen asleep, in his crib upstairs and set a spell to let him know when the boys woke up. As he sat in his study, he pondered what was the best way to go about this. Eventually, having reached a decision, he floo called Lucius.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, almost missed the deadline! lol. So I've gotten a few comments that I should make it so people know the story is about littles and stuff so I added a few new tags. Does that work better? Hope y'all like it!! As always, comments are appreciated.
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!  
>  -Lisbeth

Harry woke up slowly, wondering where he was. There was bright sunlight coming in through the window so he knew he wasn't in his cupboard. Sitting up, he looked curiously around the room. He was lying on a wooden four poster bed in the against the far wall of the room. Directly across from the bed was a large window that was halfway opened, letting in sunlight and fresh air. To the side of the window was a open door leading to a restroom furnished with marble countertops and tile and wood cabinets matching the furniture in the bedroom. On the other wall was a closed door that he assumed led out to the rest of the house.

As Harry leaned forward to take in all that he could see of the room, he was horrified to feel something wet and warm underneath him. He had had problems with bed-wetting before until the age of seven or eight when his uncle gave him a severe beating and told him that if he had another accident then he wouldn't survive the next punishment. After that he had taken to eating a very small dinner if he ate anything at all, not drinking any liquids after three in the afternoon and using the restroom as many times as possible between then and when he was sent to his cupboard for the night. Even though he was almost always hungry and thirsty, it had worked and he hadn't had any more accidents. Until now.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed Harry looked around for some sort of clothing to change into. He had just started to head towards the tall dresser beside the bed when the bedroom door opened. Spinning around he opened his mouth to ask where he was only to immediately shut it when he saw who was standing there.

The man had said something, Harry could see his mouth moving but he couldn't hear anything over the loud beating of his own heart. The man took a few steps closer to him and Harry panicked. He couldn't breathe! 

"This is it, please, I really don't want to die," was his last thought before his vision went black.

Lucius P.O.V.

Lucius was surprised to recieve a floo call from his brother only a few hours after he had escaped Narcissa's clutches. After finding out why Severus had called though, he understood. Quickly writing a note explaining things, he summoned a house elf and ordered it to deliver the note to his wife. Once that was taken care of, he threw some floo powder into the fireplace and stepping in saying his destination. Spinners End, Surrey, England.

Upon arrival he was met by Severus who led him to the kitchen.

"So what's this all about? I understood you said the Potter child is in trouble and you needed help immediately but you didn't give me many details. What happened?"

So Severus described their shopping trip that morning and how they had run into the boy. After informing Lucius of what had happened after he brought the child home, he proceeded to explain why he had called him.

"After today I'm positive the child is being abused so something will have to be done about that regardless. But Lucius, I think the boy might be a little. He hasn't had his first drop as far as I know so I can't prove it but he has all the characteristics of a little. And if he is, there's no question that he'll present soon. I mean, really, everybody knows that a little will drop early when they get extremely emotional or stressed and I honestly can't think of another child that has a more stressful life than Harry Potter."

Lucius nodded his head slowly as he thought about it. 

"I agree. From everything you've told me it does sound like the Potter child is a little. But that still doesn't explain why you called me here."

Severus inclined his head. 

"I was getting to that. The first problem is, how do we figure out if he is a little? We can't just sit around waiting for him to drop. And we definitely can't send him back to those horrible relatives of his! So how do we find out for sure? The second problem is, what do we do if he is a little? If he's not a little than it's easy, the Weasley family will be happy to add him to their brood. But if he does turn out to be a little than what do we do with him? The Weasleys aren't my favorite but they are not a terrible family either but I definitely would not trust them with a little. To many children to give them the proper attention they need. But if the boy is a little, then I cannot take him in either. I'm still getting used to the idea of having one child and figuring out how to take care of it. Also, Dumbledore would never allow it. He's already suspicious about Tom as it is. So who could we trust to take care of Harry properly if he is a little?"

Severus looked at the other man with a raised brow. 

"I've thought about it and I think I've come up with a solutuion that should work." He looked expectantly at Lucius.

"Uh oh," Lucius thought,"I don't know what that look means but I'm sure it's nothing good."

The blond was not a Master Legilimens like Severus but he knew the potions master well enough to recognize when he was up to something.

Severus considered the best way to present the idea that he had come up with without sending Lucius running for the hills. In the end, he decided it was best to just rip the bandaid off and hope for the best.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you and Narcissa could take care of him. I know you've always wanted to give Draco a sibling but couldn't because of the difficulties Narcissa had with her first pregnancy. This way you could have more children, Draco would get the brother he's always wished for, and Potter would be loved, protected and far away from those dreadful muggles he calls relatives."

He held his breath as he braced himself for the protests as Lucius opened his mouth.

"I think that's the best idea you've had in years."

He had opened his mouth to argue his case when he paused.

"What?"

Lucius smirked at the look on Severus's face. 

"I said, I think that's a great idea. Narcissa has always wanted another child and we had talked about adopting but never found the right child for us. I think Harry Potter could fill that role perfectly."

Both men turned toward the staircase as they heard a ringing noise. Severus looked at Lucius.

"Well, here's your first chance to meet the boy as a adoptive parent instead of someone trying to kill him. That was the alarm spell I set to go off when he woke up."


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mainly Harry but I threw in a little bit of Severus and Tom at the end. They are the main characters after all :)

Severus followed a few steps behind Lucius as they ascended the stairs. Deciding that it was best to let Lucius take the lead, he nodded to the room that he had put Harry in. 

Lucius slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Looking around he couldn't see the child anywhere. He had just knelt down to check under the bed when he noticed the closet door was cracked open. Having known Severus for a long time, he knew that the man's OCD would never let him leave a door open. His thoughts were only confirmed when he saw a pair of bright green eyes peek through the crack.

Walking over, he knocked on the closet door gently. 

"Hello? Anybody in there?"

After waiting a few minutes to see if he would get a response, Lucius decided to proceed.

"May I come in? I just need to talk to you about something? I promise I won't hurt you."

When there was still no response he shrugged.

"Alright Harry, I'm coming in." 

Carefully easing the door open, he could just barely see Harry. The boy was pressed as far back into the closet as he could get, almost completely buried in musty old clothes that had to of been there since before Severus was born. 

"Ugh, the man really needs to clean this house," Lucius thought.

He reached towards Harry to try and convince him to come out. Harry's response was to whimper quietly as he tried to get as far away from Lucius as possible. Seeing that Harry wasn't going to come out on his own but knowing that they couldn't just leave him in there, Lucius made a decision knowing that it might scare the boy a bit now but that it was better for him in the long run.

Not giving the boy time to jump or get away he quickly grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him out of the closet. He was careful to not hurt him but as soon as he touched the boy's arm, Harry started screaming and trying to get away. 

Reaching the obvious conclusion, Lucius decided that Harry needed to calm down before they could talk about anything. Harry was still screaming and flailing so Lucius carefully pulled the boy towards him and hugged him. The advantages of this position was that the boy couldn't kick or flail because him arms and legs were held in by Lucius own body, the disadvantage was that now the screaming was directly in his ear. Deciding that he would just have to deal with it, Lucius started to rock back and forth while humming softly, hoping it would help Harry calm down faster.

Glancing over Harry's shoulder as he continued rocking, he glared at Severus. 

"Thanks for all the help." He mouthed sarcastically at the smirking man.

About twenty minutes later the boy had stopped struggling and his screams had calmed to the occasional sniffle although Lucius couln't tell if that was because he was calmer or because his voice had run out. 

Gently setting the boy on the bed, Lucius knelt in front of him. For the first time he noticed the wet stain on the bed. Getting an idea he looked at Harry.

"Harry, do you know who I am?"

Up until this point Harry had still not spoken a word.

The boy's response was to stick his thumb in his mouth and hesitantly shake his head.

Lucius took a breath. 

"Harry, how old are you?"

Giving the blonde man a curious look, Harry slowly held up one finger. Weren't adults supposed to know everything? Thats what Uncle Vernon said at least. 

Lucius tried not to laugh at the strange look Harry was giving him. While on the outside he stayed calm and composed as befitted his status as a Malfoy, on the inside he was ecstatic.

"Harry, my name is Lucius Malfoy. I have a son your age named Draco. Could you please answer a few questions for me?"

He watched as those huge green eyes thought for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Thank you. I suppose I should start with the basics. Do you remember what your name is?"

Harry nodded quickly. That was an easy one. 

"I'm Hawwy"

The man smiled. "Very good!" He praised. "Now, you are something that's called a little which means that sometimes you like to act younger and need a bit more care than others. My wife and I have been looking for a little to adopt into our family and be Draco's little brother for a long time. We think you're perfect and would love to adopt you if you'll have us?"

He ended his explanation with a question hoping acainst hope that the boy would say yes.

There was a few moments of silence before Harry responded. 

"You want me?"

The hope in those big green eyes that were quickly filling with tears was one of the saddest thing Lucius had ever seen. 

"Oh Harry, of course we want you!"

The tears finally fell as Harry threw himself forward into Lucius's arms. 

Hearing movement from the monitering spell, Severus decided it looked like Lucius had evrything under control and so he went to check on Tom.

As he entered the bedroom, Tom was just sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 

"Hello baby boy, did you have a good nap?"

Tom nodded sleepily as Severus picked him up and subtly checked if he needed a diaper change before exiting the room. 

As they walked past the other bedroom the door was still open a crack and Tom turned his head. 

"Daddy?" He asked, tugging gently on Severus's sleeve to get his attention.

"Yes, child?"

"Mr. Ooshus is here." He stated while pushing his thumb into his mouth. 

Severus tried to hide a smirk at the mispronunciation of Lucius's name but couldn't quite conceal it. 

"Yes, he is." he said as he accioed a pacifier from the kitchen. "Do you remember that boy we met at the grocery store?" Tom nodded as he opened his mouth for the pacifier. "Well, Mr. Lucius is going to try and help the boy and maybe become his Daddy."

Tom nodded as he thought hard for a few minutes before pushing out his pacifier. 

"Like you?"

"Yes baby boy, exactly like me."


	13. Chapter 12

After both littles had been fed and changed, Lucius and Severus decided that a trip to the bank was in order. There were some unanswered questions that were bugging them such as why was Harry Potter living with his muggle relatives and how could no one have noticed that he was being abused? There were also some questions about Tom and why he hadn't presented until now, and both Severus and Lucius felt that the goblins were the most likely to be discreet as well as the best qualified to answer those questions.

After dressing both children they decided that it would be best to floo to Diagon Alley and walk to Gringotts from there. Normally they would apparate but that was hard on a adults stomach and they had no desire to start a new round of tears from the littles. For safety purposes Lucius cast a very small notice me not charm on Tom and Harry before they left. It was just enough that no one would look twice at them. A mob in the middle of Diagon was not what they wanted.

After all of the preparations were made and precautions were taken, they headed out. They arrived at the bank without any issues and Severus agreed to watch both the littles while Lucius walked up to the goblin teller and requested to speak privately with his account manager. After a short wait a goblin arrived and led them down a hall and into a office. 

"Your account manager will be in shortly."

Once the men had sat down they releaased the littles. Harry silently clung to Lucius's neck and refused to let go but Tom was eager to explore. There were so many strange things in the room the funny yet scary looking creature had led them to. 

The first thing he decided to look at was the glowing privacy and security runes drawn in all four corners of the room. Each was glowing a different color, which, when he asked his Daddy, was because they symbolized different things. The one that was glowing red alerted the goblins if anyone was not who they said they were. The blue one meant that no one outside this room could hear what they were saying and that no one in the room could repeat it to anyone else with the exception of special circumstances (such as Narcissa) and on the list went. His Daddy was just finishing describing what the last one did when the strange creature came back, this time bringing a second goblin.

Tom didn't know why but he was slightly scared of these creatures. It wasn't as if they were physically intimidating (they were only a few inches taller then him) but there was just something about them that told him to be careful. Deciding it was best to listen to this feeling, Tom headed straight for Severus's lap as soon as the goblins reentered the room.

Lucius was surprised to see Tom run to Severus so easily when just a few days ago, he refused to trust anyone. He was happy to see that they were able to get over their previous relationship so easily. He didn't know if Tom remembered his entire life before he presented or not but he knew Severus remembered. He was just happy that his brother wasn't holding a grudge (he would never do a thing like that) against a innocent child for things he didn't remember doing. Lucius could personally name several Death Eaters who would have no problem making innocent children pay for crimes they didn't commit.

The goblins that enterd the room came in carrying several documents. Lucius and Severus were confused as they hadn't yet said what they'd like to look at and which legal documents would be needed. Lucius was the first to speak up.

"What's all this?"

The goblin answered with a glare.

"We have been trying to contact the previous Lord Potter and the previous Lord Slytherin for quite some time. All of our requests for meetings were either sent back unopened or in the case of the previous Lord Potter, signed by Albus Dumbledore claiming to be his magical guardian. So when we were informed that both of them were in the building we decided to take matters into our own hands."

At the end of this speech slash rant Severus spoke up knowing the goblins never did anything on accident. "If I may, I have a few questions about the wording you used?"

The goblin nodded at him to continue.

"First of all, what do you mean previous Lord Potter and Lord Slytherin? Are they not still? And if they are not then who is? Also,you said that the papers were signed by Albus Dumbledore and that he was claiming to be Harry's magical guardian, not that he was Harry's magical guardian. So if Dumbledore is not Harry's legal magical guardian then who is?"

"The littles known as Harry James Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle have been Lord Slytherin and Lord Potter since the ages of one and since birth, respectively. Lord Slytherin was born Lord Slytherin as he was the only male heir to that line at the time of his birth. Lord Potter became Lord Potter at the age of one when his parents were killed, activating ancient family magics that automatically transfer the monies and titles of the Potter House to the next in line. When both of these children presented and accepted guardians of their own free will they were choosing to trust their life and belongings to you. When you agreed to take care of them, whether knowingly or unknowingly, you activated a binding magical contract tranferring their titles and properties to you. So as of this moment you both now hold the titles Lord Slytherin and Lord Potter respectively, as well as the responsibilities that go with it. If the magical contract ever senses an attempt to harm the littles or use their property for personal gain, it will automatically cancel the contract and alert the proper authorities. As for Albus Dumbledore, he is not and never was Harry Potter's magical guardian, despite what he claims. James and Lily Potter's wills clearly state that Sirius Black is his legal godfather and if he is unavailable then the child should have been under the care of Remus Lupin or Severus Snape. Again, when he accepted you as his guardian he gave all of himself to you trusting you to take care of him. This automatically means that you retain magical and legal custody of him unless or until the binding contract is broken."

Giving both men a slightly devious looking grin the goblin held out a quill and ended with, "Congratulations. It's a boy. Please sign here."

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Note:  
> Just wanted to explain how this is working in my head. I'm mixing a couple different dynamics from other fan-fictions I've read. So when a magical child reaches the age of majority, they present. There are nine different things they can present as. Dominant, Submissive, master, pet, alpha, omega,guardian, little, or general. General are the normal people. They can also present as a mix of two different classification but that is unusual. Anyway, for this story, a little is claimed by being put in their head-space. When they regress around a guardian for the first time it is viewed as a sign of trust and the little is now i that guardians care. An alpha or a dominant can also claim a little but it is never the same as it would be for a guardian. A little can either be eased into a drop by someone they trust or in cases of extreme trauma or stress they can go into a drop. So basically, if the little drops then there is no where to prove whether it was a forced drop or voluntary and the claim will be counted as valid by the government. Does that make any sense? Also please let me know if you think this is a stupid idea cause I don't wanna keep writing if nobody likes it. These is my first fic so please comment!! Any input would be awesome!! Criticism is also great as long as it's constructive criticism. Also, I don't have a beta reader so I apologize for any spelling mistakes and stuff.


End file.
